Airmen receive gratitude, awards for contributions to Task Force Protector

BAGRAM AIRFIELD, AFGHANISTAN - Servicemembers of Task Force Protector who recently completed their mission received words of gratitude and awards to recognize their accomplishments before departing from Bagram Airfield, Nov. 28.

Airmen of the 955th Air Expeditionary Squadron gathered in the Enduring Faith Chapel to recognize their fellow Airmen’s contributions to preserving law and order on Bagram Airfield and forward operating bases throughout eastern Afghanistan.

“It is your duty to preserve combat power,” said U.S. Army Col. John F. Garrity, the commander of Task Force Protector, in his opening remarks.  “Every time we have military police and security forces out and about on Bagram, or on any of the other FOBs we patrol, we preserve that combat power for the commander.”

The Airmen supported Operation Enduring Freedom by conducting law and order operations while assigned to the Joint Provost Marshal’s office on Bagram Airfield.  As members of Air Force security forces, they worked alongside military policemen from the Army to accomplishing their mission to keep servicemembers and civilians safe on U.S. Military bases in eastern Afghanistan.

Garrity presented awards and coins to the Airmen and congratulated each of them individually on their accomplishments.

U.S. Air Force Maj. Thomas Segars then addressed the crowd, describing how the Airmen professionally responded to mortar and rocket attacks conducted by enemy insurgents, sexual assaults on servicemembers and civilians, traffic accidents, negligent discharges, and theft in a difficult environment.

As new security forces members take their place, the Airmen will depart from Bagram Airfield next week to return to their families and continue their mission of enforcing law and order at their home stations.